Jim Lehrer Reflects on Marines at Museum Dedication

JIM LEHRER:

Mr. President, generals, colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants, warrant officers, sergeants, corporals, privates, ladies and gentlemen.

We are the Marines. And in this museum, our story is told. It is a single, monumental story, made up of 231 years of many separate stories of heroism and courage, of dedication and sacrifice, of service to our country and to our corps, of honor and loyalty to each other in war and in peace; 231 years of professionalism and pride, of squared corners and squared-away lockers, perfect salutes and good haircuts, well-shined shoes, and eyes right, 231 years of Semper Fis and DIs.

First time I came to Quantico was 51 years ago. I came as an officer candidate, a PLC on the train from Washington, having just traveled from Texas on the first airplane ride of my life. On the orders of a drill instructor, a DI, I fell in at attention with 40 other candidates on the platform at the train station over at Quantico.

And the DI told us to answer up, "Here, sir!" when our name was called. And he got to mine, and he said, "Le-here-er-er." And, like some kind of idiot, I blurted out, "It's pronounced Lehrer, sir!"

There was silence, absolute silence. And then I heard the terrifying click, click, click of leather heels on the deck of that train station platform coming in my direction. And suddenly there he was, the DI, right in front of me, his face right up in mine. And I paraphrase and cleanse it up a bit, but he said, "Candidate, if I say your name is Little Bo Peep, your name is Little Bo Peep!"

"Do you hear me?" Oh, I heard him all right. And I think it was at that very moment that I really became a United States Marine.

I'm still one today, and I will remain one forever, as did my late father, and as is my older and only brother.